PLANS for a new budget supermarket at a former sports centre site in Witham are pressing ahead.

Lidl has announced that it will be holding a public consultation day to outline its plans for the new store in Bridge Street, Witham, on the site of the former Bramston Sports Centre.

The German supermarket giant proposed purchasing the old school sports centre site and replacing it with a store in June last year, with Braintree Council supporting the plans at the time.

Funds from the sale of the site are planned to go towards the building of a new primary care facility for Witham.

The multi-million pound development of the 1,325sqm new store will bring Lidl to Witham for the first time ever. The nearest store is currently located in Rayne Road, Braintree.

Once up and running, the new supermarket is expected to create around 40 jobs for the town.

The retailer has also promised that the store will also boast state-of-the-art facilities including an in-store bakery, longer-style tills with dual packing facilities, customer toilets and a large car park of more than 100 spaces for both cars and bicycles.

Colin Rimmer, Lidl UK’s regional head of property development, said: “We are extremely excited about the prospect of opening a Lidl in Witham and serving our fresh, quality and incredibly good value produce which shoppers across the country have come to love.

“We look forward to welcoming anyone along to the public consultation day and showcasing our plans whilst answering any questions.”

Residents are invited to attend the consultation event, which will take place between 2.30pm and 6.30pm on Wednesday, August 23, at The Restaurant in Maltings Academy, in Spinks Lane.

Lidl’s property team and planning consultants from JLL will be on hand to outline the plans and answer questions from members of the community.

Tina Townsend, chairman of the Witham Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: “It is good to hear that the site is going to be redeveloped and bring more jobs to the town.

“Hopefully those who visit will also pop into the businesses in the centre of town and increase footfall for all.

“The introduction of another international company is obviously good news for the town as it may show other retailers Witham is worth investing in which is something the town could certainly benefit from.”

When it opens, the store will add to Lidl’s portfolio of 670 stores throughout the country - with the company planning to double in size and reach 1,500 stores in the future.

The award-winning company has become a major player in the industry and now owns a market share of 5.1 per cent, with year-on-year growth of 19 per cent.

Along with other German company Aldi, Lidl has built its reputation around value for money.

A planning application for the new store should be submitted by September.

For more information about the store or the upcoming consultation event, visit www.witham.ldl.co.uk.

The former Bramston School was based in Bridge Street, Witham, until it closed 2011. The school’s sports centre closed at the same time.